These are the thoughts and observations of me — a woman of a certain age. (Oh, my, God, I'm 60!) I'm single. I'm successful enough (independent, self supporting). I live in the burbs and work in the city (Chicago, the best city in the world). I'm an aunt, a friend and a colleague. I feel that voices like mine are rather underrepresented online or in print. So here I am. If my musings resonate with you, please visit my blog again sometime.

Cary Grant: A Biography (2004). I was holding a big, thick tome on Bette Davis and then I spotted this one. No offense to Bette, but Cary Grant just captivates me.Diana: In Pursuit of Love (2004). You know, William and Harry's mum. It's probably crap, but I don't care.

The Undomestic Goddess (2005). I read all the Shopaholic books by the author and really enjoyed them, so this feels like a good bet.

Sand in My Bra (2003). Funny short stories about travel by women writers.

I also liberated four books to give to share with Kathy, my aunt, my kid sister, and my friend Joanna.

Books. They make me happy. A dozen free books is cause for celebration.

Each day in August you are to
post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it
doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a
great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in
our lives, our communities, and the world.

The curtain has come down on this year's library book sale. Every
year there's a book that my neighbors donate in big numbers. I am ready to reveal which title wins that dubious honor.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Again. Just like last year ... and the year before ... and 2014.

In 2018, it was The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

In 2017, it was The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.In 2016, it was The Help.In 2015, it was The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.In 2014, it was the first appearance of The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo. In 2013, it was The DaVinci Code.In 2012, it was Sixkillby Robert B. Parker (a Spenser mystery). In 2011, it was The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. In 2010, it was Scarlett, the Sequel to Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind. In 2009, it was My Life by Bill Clinton.In 2008, it was The Da Vinci Code.In 2007, it was The Nanny Diaries.In 2006, it was The Corrections.

What does this mean? I suspect that people are still buying and reading it, but no one wants to re-read it or feels any need to refer back to it.

It must be noted that almost all the copies I saw this year were paperbacks. In 2018 both hardcovers and paperbacks dominated the tables. This could mean that Stieg Larsson's dominance in this category could be waning and maybe next year I'll have different news to report.

1. Have you read anything by C.S. Lewis? Nope.2. What is your favorite movie with Jack Nicholson?Terms of Endearment. He's quite charming, and less of a ham hock than in some of his more popular roles.

4. Have you ever swallowed an object by accident? A very expensive porcelain veneer. I mourn it to this day.5. Is your eyesight 20/20? No. But weirdly enough, I found at my last eye exam (December 2018) that my prescription is now weaker than it was two years ago. Go figure.6. Have you ever had insomnia? Yes.7. Does it bother you when people touch you? Depends on who they are.8. Is it better to get too much or too little sleep? As I age I find I can't get too much sleep.9. What gets your adrenaline pumping?

10. Do you ever talk about yourself in the third person? No. It's crazy how much that irritates me.11. What's your favorite radio station? What kind of music do they play? MeTV-FM. They've got the not-overplayed oldies.

12. Do you believe there is anyplace still undiscovered in all the world? Probably not. Seldom visited, yes. 13. Ever caught a fish? Once. When I was a very little girl. I felt terrible for the shiny little bluish green fella as he died. I never went fishing again.14. Were you ever in the first row of a concert? 10th row is as close as I've ever gotten.

15. Do you have any autographs? Gloria Steinem (in a paperback) and the Cub's ace Ferguson Jenkins (on a photo).